So, I have a question for all fans of anime, applies to manga too but mainly concentrated on anime. Why is it so hard to find anime or mangadealing directly with marriage? On a whim out of curiosity I tried to bing and google search anime's and manga that deal with marriage either an effect after the teen romance or as the main plot. While there are a number of manga there are very few anime with most being at the very last episode of the season or having a dramatic and sad ending (Clannad After Story). While I am a huge fan of all stories and plots within anime and manga I find the lack in this one aspect really odd given how many anime plots are designed around romance issues of teens and mainly on a simply boyfriend/girlfriend basis. Personally I would like to see either a really great comedy anime about marriage, a romcom that leads to marriage say halfway through and explores those hardships in comedy and drama, or even a complete action/supernatural married couple in anime dealing with a main plot with marriage adjustments thrown in between. What i want to know from all other fans of anything anime or manga is what are your thoughts? What would you like to see in regards to marriage? Also, for any others fans that were curious like me, any suggestions for anime or manga that deals with marriage.

Otoyomegatari (A Bride's Story) is a richly detailed, gorgeously drawn Seinen manga about marriage, family live, community life etc. during the late 19th century in Central Asia. It is rich in historical detail as well.

My Neighbors the Yamadas is a movie by Studio Ghibli which features the wacky life of a married couple and their two children.

Orange Yane No Chiisana Ie (Little House with an Orange Roof) is a Josei manga featuring two divorcees, each with their two children tricked into living together. It's like a Japanese Brady Bunch.

Nana a a Josei manga- does eventually feature some semblance of "marriage" but it take a long while to get there, and the manga is on hiatus. However, it is a great, realistic read.

Here's some other series that have great romances, and sometimes end with people married:

Maison Ikkoku is one of the best romance mangas (and animes) of all time. Very funny, has romance that is anything but cheesy, and very touching, it is about a struggling college student who falls in love with his older recently widowed manager of their insane apartment house. A Seinen manga that is absolute gold.

Honey and Clover is a Josei manga (and anime) features the day to day lives and romances of a group of struggling college students. This series is pretty infamous for having a ending that came out of nowhere and pissed many people off. Personally, I was fine with it. It's still a great read, very funny and very touching and nostalgic.

Victorian Romance Emma, a Seinen manga and anime that deals with class distinction, romance, life and marriage in early 20th century England. By the same person who did A Bride's Story, this is a historical, realistic and beautifully drawn manga.

Natsuyuki Rendezvous, A Josei manga about a man who falls for a widow working at a flower shop that her dead husband haunts. Really unique and great.

I think part of it is the fact that people like watching the romance leading up to a marriage with all the drama inbetween. Very rarely do you actually get a show like Clannad that turned the after events into a valuable sentimental plotline as well. It's all about entertainment and after marriage the whole uncertainty thing of romance is somewhat gone, there isn't much left to give readers after that other than day to day events for drama and romance. In clannad there was more unexpected due to things I would be spoiling by saying anything.

If you want to see what happens after marriage your more than likely going to be stuck with things like josei manga or something, I doubt it will ever become something used in anime.

I have found that most anime and manga are really bad at resolution. You get to the end of the story and instead of having an episode that says what happens to everyone, it just ends. It is like they look at it, and say, "instead of resolving anything, let's just end now!" This usually also kills any prospect for marriage even at the end. Like in fma brotherhood instead of it showing the main character's lives, it literally shows a picture on the wall! I would also be super interested in the comedies and romcoms you suggested. My favorite idea though is of a husband and wife in an action/supernatural anime where they kick trash together!
That is why I love Sword Art Online, because although they only get married in game, in the first season it is no longer about "when are they gonna tell each other they like each other already!" which is the entire plot for lots of romcoms. It is more about how they face their challenges together and overcome them. I was not too disappointed that they aren't married in real life, because, they are still in high school, and it did have a lot of resolution at the end of the second season. It is probably my favorite anime that's come out in the last two years. I think you are right, we need more! the only problem is that a lot of the anime fanbase is in high school

That kind of storyline is in a lot of shojo manga. Perhaps not all the way to marriage, but the development of their relationship even after they fall in love. Hana Yori Dango, Kodomo no Omocha, Itazura Na Kiss, Marmalade Boy... While I agree that it's nice to see a couple develop their relationship, those types of manga tend to be very long. If it already takes a hundred episodes to develop their relationship, it'll take even more to portray their relationship after marriage.

Also, because most people who read shojo manga are preteens/young adults, the characters are around their age. It's more easier for girls to relate to relationships rather than marriage.

Of course, there are manga more geared towards adults, like NANA (although I read it when I was a teen). NANA focuses on more adult relationships, including married couples.

Catherine is a video game made by Atlus but it talks pretty in depth about relationships. Vincent Brooks is in his mid-20's and marriage proposal and fear of committment is an issue brought up in the game very well, although they aren't married, the whole struggles are still there, it's definitely the closest in terms of talking about relationships and it's a damn fine game with a damn fine story. As expected from Atlus.

The second half of Clannad After Story deals with the marraige of the season one main characters. Suzaka (at least the manga) ended with the a wedding. Other than that, I have noticed a lack of the vows with all these anime/manga.

Obviously about a husband and wife trying to keep their marriage a secret because he's her teacher. Cute premise but sadly the plot revolves around her trying to get her husband to have sex with her while her husband is trying to obey his father in law who allowed them to get married so long as he doesn't touch her till she's 18.

Marmalade Boy

Two of the main characters get married, won't say which ones.

Boku wa Imouto ni Koi o Suru

Yori illegally marries his twin sister Iku. They exchange rings in a church and kiss one another 'in front of God' because they can't actually marry for obvious reasons.